KUCHING: Sarawak has kicked off 2025 with a remarkable boost in tourist arrivals, recording a total of 400,531 visitors in January.
Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that this figure represents a substantial increase of 13.47 per cent compared to January 2024, which saw 352,983 arrivals.
As such, he expressed confidence in meeting the ambitious target of 5 million tourist arrivals for the year, as announced by the Premier during the last budget presentation.
“The growth was 13.47 per cent just for January. Out of this, the number of foreigners among the over 400,000 visitors was 233,404, compared to 213,125 in January 2024.
“I hope that it will continue to progress throughout the year, considering the kind of promotion we’re doing and the support we have from the government and the agencies.
“We’re very confident that we’ll reach the target of 5 million visitor arrivals by December,” he said when officiating at the D’Drift 2025 flag off at TT3, DayakDaily office today (Feb 27).
Abdul Karim added that the strong performance in January 2025 is a promising sign for the year ahead, with tourism receipts exceeding RM1 billion, totalling RM1,025,391,859.
With the high influx of foreign tourists coming to Sarawak, he noted that they often bring greater purchasing power and tend to stay longer, contributing positively to the local economy.
“It is encouraging to see such strong numbers right at the beginning of the year.
“When we start promoting, we cannot stop. We will continue to see this kind of arrival and a very positive outlook,” he asserted.
While the growth in tourist arrivals is welcomed, Abdul Karim also expressed concerns about over-tourism and its potential negative effects on local communities and economies.
He pointed out that, similar to Bali, Pattaya, and Venice, over-tourism can pose challenges for local communities by significantly driving up prices of goods and rent, negatively impacting residents.
“As long as there’s a balance, I hope the tourism industry can contribute about 7 per cent to 10 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as our other sectors, particularly energy, are also supporting us, so we don’t have to worry too much,” he added.
